Vending-machine.



N. J. SHAMROY.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1911.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

ATTORNEY W WW. MM

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NICHOLAS J'. SHAMROY, 0F YORK, N. Y.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Application filed May 18, 1911.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 129141. Serial No. 627,972.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS J. SHAM nor, a citizen of Russia, residing at New York city, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same. a

This invention relates to machines for delivering chewing gum, confectionery or merchandise in packages, or other articles or goods, on the insertion of a coin or check.

The invention aims to provide a machine of this character which shall be small and compact, of simple and inexpensive construction, reliable in operation, and the inclosed parts of which shall be readily accessible.

The invention aims further to provide a machine of this kind whereby a coin inserted when the supply of articles or goods in the goods holder of the machine is exhausted or when the coin carrier or other delivery mechanism is not in proper position will be returned to the person using it.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the description which follows:

As a full understanding of the invention can best be given by a detailed description of a construction embodying the various features of the invention in an approved form, such a description will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings showing such a construction, and in which- Figure 1 is a full size front or face view with the front plate and other parts partially broken awa chine with the artlcle holders empty. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 of Fig. 1 but showing a stack of articles in the holder which appears in the section. 'Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3 of Fig. 2, but with the coin carrier or delivery device removed. Fig. i

shows in perspective one of the followers which rest on the articles in the holders. Fig. 5 is a similar view or one of the deflecting plates which are carried by the followers.

Referring to the drawings, the various operating and other parts of the machine are carried by and inclosed in a casing formed of a back or body part comprising a back plate 10 and sides 11, and a front part comprising a front wall or plate 12, a bottom plate 13, a top plate 14 and side plates 15,

and showing the mawhich latter when the two parts of the casing are closed together lie inside the forward portions of the side plates 11. The front part of the casing is pivotally connected to the back part thereof by means of a pivot rod 16 so that the front part may swing outward and downward to leave the back or body part of the casing and the parts carried thereby exposed for convenient access. A suitable lock, as the lock 17 the bolt of which shoots behind a lug on a post 18 extending forward from the back plate 10, is provided for securing the front part of the casing in its closed position.

The machine shown is for vending packages or other articles, and the articles a are stacked in vertical holders 20 secured to the back plate 10 in the upper part of the casing. The machine may be provided with any number of these holders, one or more, as desired. As shown, the machine is provided with two holders, and certain features of the construction shown have been specially designed for a machine having two holders or a pluralit of sets of two holders. The holders are, or convenience in inserting the articles therein, made with open tops and fronts, the fronts of the holders being provided, however, with retaining flanges 21, which are cut away at the bottom to permit the bottom article of the stack in the holder to be pushed forward for delivery from the holder. The stack of articles is supported in the holder by the bottom article restin on bottom supporting flanges 22, bet-ween w ich the bottom of the holder is open to provide an open way for the movement of the coin in engagement with the bottom article, as hereinafter described, and which extend from the back of the holder forward for only about 9 one-half the width of the holder so that the bottom article need be pushed forward only about one-half its width to be free to drop from the holder. A weighted follower 25 rests on the top of the stack of articles in each holder for the purpose of insuring the downward movement of the stack as the bot tom articles are delivered, and for keeping the articles flat in the holder. These followers are made heaviest at their rear sides so that the greatest weight comes on the rear portions of the articles over the supporting flanges 22. v

For each article holder 20, a coin chute 30 is provided extending from a slot 31 at the vt' the "coins top of the casing down back of the holder to the bottom thereof for delivering coins to the coin carrier or other delivering device. Tn the construction shown the delivery device consists of a coin carrier formed by a cross bar 32 which is mounted to move backward and forward beneath and adjacent to receiving position when a coin is and through either of the chutes 30, the coin will the lower ends of the article holders, which is provided with a number of vertical coin slots 33 corresponding in number and position to the holders and coin chutes. The cross bar 32 is carried by side arms 3% extending upward from a shaft 35 mounted to turn'in bearings at or near the bottom of the machine and provided outside the casing with finger pieces 36 by which the shaft may be rocked to throw the carrier bar 32 forward against the pressure of a spring 37 by which the carrier is normally held in receiving position as shown in Fig. 2 with its coin slots 33 directly beneath the lower ends of the coin chutes 30. When a coin 1s dropped through either of the chutes 30, it will fall into one of the slots 33 of the carrier and will rest on a coin support 38 with its upper part in position to engage the bottom article in the holder when the carrier is moved forward. llf the carrier is thrown forward without any coin having been inserted through either of the slots 31, it will reduce no result, as there will be nothing in the machine to engage and deliver an article from either holder. If, however, a coin isinserted in either slot and the carrier then thrown forward the upper part of the coin carried by the carrier will engage the rear edge of the lowermost article in the holder cbrresponding to the slot in which the coin has been inmrted and will push it forward from the holder. The article when so expolled from the holder will fall down through and to the bottom of a delivery passage or chute 4:0 from which position it may be taken from the machine through a elivery opening 41 in the front plate of the casing.

The coin support 38 holder is formed by a art of a shelf 45 which extends between t e back plate 10 of the casing and a partition 42 which forms the inner wall of the deliveryv chute 40. The two side portions of the shelf which form the coin supports are formed to support the coins in the slots of the carrier in position to engage the bottom articles in the holders during such movement of the carrier as is required to effect the delivery of the articles from the holder, and end at a point to perunit the coin to drop from the carrier when the article has been ex' lled from theholder. The coins dropping from the carrier -fall through openings 46 in the shelf 45 into a coin receptacle 47 which is placed in the space beneath the shelf 45. In order to prefrom piling up directly bebeneath each article to be delivered neath the openings 46 and to permit the use of a small is provided with deflectors, shown as formed by cross rods 48. The central portion of the shelf to is shaped to form a coin guide whereby, if the coin carrier should not be in dropped be guided inwardly and forwardly to fall through an opening 50in the partition plate t2 into the delivery chute 4C0, so that it may be recovered through the delivery opening elf For this purpose the shelf 45 is shaped to slant downwardly toward the center from the side portions which form the coin supports 37, and the central portion of the shelf slants forwardly and downwardly between the openings 46 to the opening 50.

Each follower 25 carries a deflecting plate which is pivotally supported on the follower as by means of a part 56 resting in a lateral groove 57 formed in the upper face of the follower near its forward side. When there are articles in the holden, the deflecting plate stands in the position shown in Fig. 2 with its rear edge resting against the bafik wall of the holder. When, however, the last article has been ,delivered from the holder and the follower drops to the bottom of the holder, the rear edge of the deflecting plate Will come opposite an opening 58 in the back of the holder and the plate will swing backward to carry its rear edge across the coin chute 30. If, then, any further coins be inserted in the coin chute, they will s? rike the dcflectcr and be deflected from the chute and across the holder and will fall from the deflector at the front of the holder into the delivery chute 40 and drop into position to be recovered through a delivery (p'ening 41. By this means, if a coin is inserted in either coin slot when the holder correspondingto that coin slot is empty, the coin will, without any act or operation to be performed by the person inserting the coin, be delivered in position to be recovered by such person. The coin-returnin means for each chute, also, is independent in its operation of the means for the other chute so that if either holder is empty while articles remain in the other holder, at coininserted for the empty holder will be returned while a coin inserted for the filled or partially filled holder will be effective for the delivery of a ackage therefrom.

or each holder a weighted hinged shutter. 60 is mounted to han normally in front of the lower end of the Tmlder and'extends down to the upper edge of the partition 42 and is free to swing to permit the articles from the holders. The upper part of the shutters is shown as cut away to allow of the passage of coins deflected from the coin chutes by the deflectors 55. These shutters serve not only to guard coin receptacle, the receptacle against the removal of articles from the holders by an instrument inserted through the delivery opening 41, but also to keep the articles in parallel position while being ad'- vanced from the holder, and, when pushed forward by an advancing article to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, to deflect the outer edge or side of the article downward while its rear edge is still supported by the flanges 22 so that the weight of the stack and weighted follower 25 above it will act to'give a downward and forward impulse to the article as it leaves the holder. With'such deflecting shutters and with the supporting flanges 22 ending about midway between the front and back of the holders, a vertical delivery chute 40 of a width less than the width of the articles to be delivered may be employed, thus efl'ecting a reduction in the thickness of the machine, which is of very considerable importance in a small vending machine of the character of the machine shown. For the best results,

the shutters (30 are curved vertically with the concave side toward the holders, as shown. and the upper part of the partition 42 is formed to slant inward and the sup porting flanges are provided with forwardly and downwardly slanting extensions 22* which serve to prevent any chance backward tilting of the article leaving the holder and to provide with the slanting upper end of the partition a guide or support for the article between holder and the delivery chute.

In order to prevent return movement of the crin carrier before it has been given its full forward movement to carry a coin beyond the forward edge of the coin-support, the coin supports 38 may be formed with notches 61 as shown in Fig. 2. and as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. These notches make it impossible to discharge more than one article by means of a single coin. since the coin carrier after being moved forward part way cannot be returned to starting position until it has made its full forward movement and the coin has dropped from the carrier into the receptacle 47.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction shown and to which the foregoing description has been largely confined, but that it includes changes and modifications thereof within the claims, and that features of the invention as claimed may be used in machines difl'ering widely from that shown.

What is claimed is i 1. In a coin controlled vending machine, the combination of a holder for holding a stack of articles, a delivery chute, a pivotally mounted goods ejector provided with coin slots disposed under and in alinement with the coin chutes for expelling the lowermost article from the holder into the delivery chute by engagement therwith of a chute and return the operating coin when coin, a coin chute, and a follower provided with a hinged plate operative when the supply of articles in the holder is exhausted to close the discharge end thereof and to deflect coins from the coin chute and across the holder and into the delivery chute,

2. In acoin controlled vending machine the combination of a holder for holdingastack of articles, a delivery chute, a coin chute, a pivotally mounted coin carrier movable beneath the holder for expelling the lowermost article from the holder to the delivery chute by engagement therewith of a coin carried by the carrier, and a follower movable within said holder and provided with a hinged plate arranged to enter the coin chute to close the discharge end thereof and to defleet the coins therefrom when the supply of articles in the holder is exhausted.

3. In a coin controlled vending machine the combination of a casing provided with a hinged cover and having coin slots at its upper end, a holder for holding a stack of articles, a delivery chute, a coin chute located parallelly with and behind said holders, a rocking coin carrier standing normally in position to receive a coin from the coin chute and movable radially beneath the holder for expelling the lowermost article from the holder to the delivery chute, a notched coin support for supporting the coin during the expelling movement of the carrier and to prevent its repeated use for obtaining more goods, a removable coin receptacle for receiving the coins from the carrier when moved beyond the coin support,

and a follower movable Within the holder and provided with a hinged member adapted to close the discharge end of the coin the holder is empty.

l. In a vending machine the combination of a casing having coin slots at its upper end, a plurality of vertically disposed goods holders, a plurality of fixed coin chutes located behind said holders and having an aperture providing a passage for coins to the goods ejector. and to the delivery chute when a holder is depleted of goods, a ivotally mounted goods ejector and a fol lower provided with ahinged plate, adapted to close the said aperture and to deflect a coin into the delivery chute when the goods holder is depleted. 1

5. In a vending machine the combination of a casing provided with a hinged cover and having coin slots at its upper end; a plurality of vertically disposed goods holders. a corresponding number of coin chutes located parallelly with and behind said holders and having an aperture for the passage of coins to the goods ejector and to the delivery opening when a holder is empty a pivotally mounted goods ejector provide with coin slots disposed under the coin 130 same through the delivery chute when the goods holder is empty.

8. In a vending machine a vertically disosed coin chute, a vertically disposed goods holder, the said coin chute and said goods holder having a party wall provided at its lower extremity with an opening for the passage of a coin from the chute through the goods holder, and a weight provided with a hinged plate arranged to enter said passage when the goods holder is empty and to defiect coins dropped into the coin chute into the delivery chute.

9. In a vending machine a vertically disposed coin chute, a vertically disposed goods holder, the said coin chute and said goods holder having a party wall provided at its lower extremity with an opening for the passage of a coin from the goods holder, a weight provided with a hinged plate arranged to enter said passage when the goods holder is empty and to defleet coins dropped into the coin chute into the delivery chute, and a rocking goods ejector provided with a coin slot registering with the coin chute for the expulsion of goods by a coin and operative from the front and sides of the machine.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NICHOLAS J. SHAMROY;

Witnesses A. L. KENT, J EANNETTE STORK.

chutes and adapted to expel the lowermost article by bringing the operating coin into cooperative engagement with said article, and a follower provided with a movable plate arranged to close the passage to the coin receptacle and deflect the coin into the delivery chute in the event of the goods holder being empty.

(3. In a vending machine the combination of a casing provided with a hinged cover and having coin slots at its upper end; a plurality of vertically disposed. goods holders; an equal number of coin chutes located parallelly with and behind said holders and provided at their lower ends with lateral openings permitting a transverse discharge of coins through them into the delivery chute when the goods holder is empty; a pivotally mounted goods ejector provided with coin slots disposed under the coin chutes; and a follower provided With a hinged plate adapted to close the passage to the goods ejector and guide the coin to the delivery chute when the goods holder is empty.

7. A vending machine comprising a plate a cover movably attached to the upper end thereof, vertically disposed goods holders, a goods ejector journaled in the cover and adapted to be operated from the front and the sides of the machine and arranged to expel the lowermost package by its cooperative engagement with a coin deposited in the goods ejector and a follower provided with a hinged plate arranged to deflect the coin from the coin receptacle and to return the chute through 

